Moving to Brownsville (McAllen, Allen, Lakeway: real estate, rental, condo)

[Max77]

Well, I saw the worst and the best of your messgs. from previous postings regarding living in Brownsville - McAllen. "I am all confused"

This is my situation:
I'm born in S.America, but spent my life in the US, my wife if from the North East, plus 2 US born kids under 11
I have an offer of over $120K a year to run a factory in Matamoros.
Therefore, I'll commute from Browns. to Mex. everyday.
Very tired of the horrible winters in the Noth East.
No need of big cities.

I've been in many countries and 100 cities, let's be real, every city has a bad place, and a good place to live, even in poor Central American cities, you can find excellent neighborhoods where you can live literally like a king.

I had the chance to visit Paso, Nogales and Tijuana (Brownsville not yet). Yes, the cities located on the US side, specially the streets next to the border, look JUST LIKE POOR MEXICO. It's like a different world within the USA.

But if you go down the highway for a few miles, there MUST be good neighborhoods where life is safe, good and normal. S.Padre is 1/2 hour away, the wife will be happy in the mall, mexican food is not bad, the city web page posts activities and zoos, etc. to visit. I see Browsv. real estate pages, with pictures of very nice houses for only $150 - $180K.

I am all ears, and thanks in advance for your time.

[conanS]

Max, I do not know much about life in Mexico. I'll ask my wife when she gets home and she what she knows.

[Max77]

Hi
Thanks for your answer, but I want to know how life in Brownsville is, where I will live with my family. I wonder if there are good private schools, activities for the kids, and things to do in the area.
Thanks,
MAX77

[conanS]

Opps!! Sorry for misunderstanding your post. Brownsville is a big place. I've only been there once to go to the zoo. The area where the zoo is pretty nice. Hate to say it, but the main thing I noticed was all the road work being done! But then again it was over an hour drive for us with a 6 yr-old, 5 yr-old, and a 2 yr-old..Makes it seem more like days

[bb5745]

Max77, I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND MOVING TO BROWNSVILLE. Brownsville has the largest concentration of rude people (for example, watch a person ahead of you when they enter a store as they scury to get through the door so they don't have to hold it for you as you're coming behind them) of any city I've ever been to, has been taken over by illegals, is run by corrupt politicians (see the article in Aug Texas Monthly about former county sheriff Cantu), is about 50 years behind the times in just about every aspect (health care, technology.....RECYCLING??? What's that?), and the schools suck, but that's more of a state-wide problem.

I live in South Padre Island, which is a completely different town, with nice, friendly people, and only go to Brownsville when I need to go to Home Depot, or, I unfortunately have to pass through Brownsville on my way to Matamoros to eat (there are some wonderful restaurants across the border where you get great service and incredible food for a very reasonable price.)

Let me put it this way, I've got many friends in SPI who are from many different parts of the country, and they all like SPI, but hate the valley for the reasons listed above. I used to live up north and have lived around Texas, and I used to think 'yankees' were rude , but they have nothing on the folks of the Rio Grande Valley (I'm a big fan of Southern Hospitality). We all get very frustrated at how backwards most things in the valley are.

I also have a lot of friends who have lived in Brownsville and the valley all their life, or are from Mexico (some illegal, some legal), and they all love the valley. I've talked to many of them about this and the consensus seems to be that they either, one, don't know of any other places, as they've never been anywhere else to compare, and two, those that have come from Mexico find Brownsville, to be a much better alternative than living a life of poverty in Mexico.

Of course, you should visit and decide for yourself, but I recommend living in South Padre, as it would be a much nicer place to raise kids, if you indeed want to take the job in Matamoros. You would have a 30-45 minute commute. Housing IS much cheaper in Brownsville. 150k-180k won't get you much in SPI, maybe an older 2 bedroom condo in a high rise. To get the amount of home you'd get in Brownsville for 150k, you'd have to spend a minimum of 500k on SPI, but probably more than that. If renting is an option for you however, some good rental deals can still be found in SPI (my neighbor rents his 3 bedroom townhome with garage and yard for $1500/month). There probably are some nice, safe housing areas in Brownsville, but if it were up to me, I just wouldn't want myself or my family in the type of environment that is Brownsville.

I don't know where in the east you're from, but I've found that many people are very dissapointed when they come from forward-thinking, well planned towns, with smart, honest people, nice people, because Brownsville and most of the valley, is quite the opposite.

[conanS]

bb...I have not experienced the rude people you refer to. I have lived here 3 years and haven't seen it once. And I am white!! What better person to be rude to than the minority of the area.

[development]

Originally Posted by Max77

Well, I saw the worst and the best of your messgs. from previous postings regarding living in Brownsville - McAllen. "I am all confused"

This is my situation:
I'm born in S.America, but spent my life in the US, my wife if from the North East, plus 2 US born kids under 11
I have an offer of over $120K a year to run a factory in Matamoros.
Therefore, I'll commute from Browns. to Mex. everyday.
Very tired of the horrible winters in the Noth East.
No need of big cities.

I've been in many countries and 100 cities, let's be real, every city has a bad place, and a good place to live, even in poor Central American cities, you can find excellent neighborhoods where you can live literally like a king.

I had the chance to visit Paso, Nogales and Tijuana (Brownsville not yet). Yes, the cities located on the US side, specially the streets next to the border, look JUST LIKE POOR MEXICO. It's like a different world within the USA.

But if you go down the highway for a few miles, there MUST be good neighborhoods where life is safe, good and normal. S.Padre is 1/2 hour away, the wife will be happy in the mall, mexican food is not bad, the city web page posts activities and zoos, etc. to visit. I see Browsv. real estate pages, with pictures of very nice houses for only $150 - $180K.

I am all ears, and thanks in advance for your time.

You will find that your income will go a long way in Brownsville. The sub-tropical climate means that having a lush lawn is possible. The homes in the $150K - $200K range are large and you will find nice amenities. There are many nice neighborhoods with homes in that price range. For neighbohoods to look into: Rio Viejo, Los Ebanos, Lakeside Terrace, Hidden Valley, Palo Alto, Briarwick, Lakeway, The Woods, Fox Run, and Emerald Valley are some of the neighborhoods. There is a bedroom community called Rancho Viejo which has two golf courses that might interest you. There are also many good private elementary schools. Kenmont, St. Mary's Catholic, Episcopal Day School, 1st Baptist, St. Luke's Catholic are some of the private schools.

As far as children's activities, there are many. The Gladys Porter Zoo has been ranked one of the top ten small zoos in the country. Across the street, Dean Porter Park has a public swimming pool and spray park, a community theater (Camille Lightner Theater) that offers children's plays during the year and children's workshops in the summer, a Brownsville Children's Museum that is two years old, and a Costumes of the Americas Museum. Also in the area is a new Fine Arts Museum that offers children art lessons year round and has a children's art exhibit once a year. If your children like sports, those opportunities exist mostly through school. There are independent soccer, little (baseball) and basketball leagues. There is also a private swim club, Blue Dolphins. The city owns a fine tennis facility which offers lessons. Two beaches are 30 minutes away. South Padre Island is a fully developed resort town with a water park that is open 8 months of the year. Boca Chica Beach is not developed but provides good fishing. Hunting deer and dove is a popular pastime in the fall and winter months.

Brownsville is a city with increasing cultural attractions. This week is the Latin Jazz Festival in Brownsville and Festival Otono in Matamoros. See today's Brownsville Herald for those activities. Monday night the University of Texas at Brownsville is sponsoring a speech by Pulitzer-Prize winning author, David McCullogh. The Brownsville Heritage Complex has activites every weekend. The Historic Brownsville Museum has an exhibit of Latino artists this month. The Fine Arts Museum is having its gala grand opening next weekend with an exhibit by New York artist Ray Smith. The University of Texas at Brownsville has the Steinway Series of concerts, the Patron of the Arts series, and the Arts and Entertainment Series (Frankie Avalon appeared last Thursday). The Brownsville Chamber of Commerce and the Brownsville Convention and Visitors Bureau have a listing of activities. I hope this information is helpful to you.

[Max77]

Thank you for your messages , they are ALL helpfull
Question. Is Port Isabel a good option to live. Is it like South Padre, I assume is cooler than Brownsville in the summer, is there anything in P.Isabel?
What about safety in Brownsville, the suburbs, P.Isabel, South Padre..
Thanks, Max

[bb5745]

Port Isabel might be a good option for your situation. It is cooler than Brownsville, especially if you're closer to the water. The high school/jr high is right there, and there is some shopping and restaurants(Walmart/HEB...many good local restaurants and a few chains). And, housing costs are much more affordable compared to SPI. As for safety, all the places listed above have incidents every once in a awhile, but they all seem relatively safe.

[Max77]

REF: Brownsville
HI,
Somebody from this list sent me a private message, but my blocker stopped it and couldn't see it.
Please try again.
Max77